Quick tip – Check your photos. Again.

Last week, I wrote a post about What spouses promised each other, in which I used a photograph of my grandparents’ wedding. When browsing my Facebook feed, the story came up and I looked at the photo just like I would at any other photo.

And there he was. My great-great-grandfather.

Marriage of Henk Hoitink and Mien Woordes, 1942

Next to my grandfather sits his mother. Then, an empty seat, where his father should have been (he died six months before the marriage). But the next chair is occupied by an elderly man. Who else could this be than Hendrik Hoitink, the grandfather that my grandfather was named after? He died in 1945, three years after his grandson’s marriage.

So far, I had only ever seen one picture of him, the one below. I will ask some older relatives if they can confirm my suspicion, but I’m pretty sure I’ve found a second photo of my great-great-grandfather!

Have you taken a closer look at your family photos lately? Perhaps you can identify more people than you think!

Hendrik Hoitink and Johanna Piek